Window shade fixture



April A. I COLEMAN ,855,010-

WINDOW SHADE FIXTURE Filed May 27, 1931 1271/71/71 /z/ III/III PatentedApr. 19, 1932 ABRAHAM ISADORE COLEMAN, 0E BALTIMORE, MARYLAND WINDOWSHADE rrxrunn Application filed May 27, 1931; Serial No. 54 0,338.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatically adjustablewindow shade fixture which will adapt itself instantaneously to shaderollers of different lengths.

An important source of annoyance to the owners of rented housesandapartments and of disfigurement of such tenements is dueto the practiceon the part of the difierent tenants of installing new shades havingrollers of varying lengths requiring new fixtures or a relocation of theold fixtures. In old buildings where changes of tenants have beenfrequent, the window casings have become honeycombed with screw holeswhere numerous fixtures have been installed and re moved, and eventhough these holes are puttied from time to time when the woodwork ispainted, it becomes diflicult after a while to find a sufficient holdfor the screws which support the fixtures. Also, the woodwork itselfbecomes unsightly in appearance.

The fact is known to this inventor that various patents have been issuedon automatically adjustable curtain or shade fix tures, but theadjustable feature is so designed and constructed that on account of itsbulk it must be located outside of the area covered by the shade andbeyond the end of the roller and all of such devices are thereforeconspicuous and unsightly so that this type offixture has never becomepopular andthe-fixtures-constructed in this way have therefore neverproved to be a commercially successful product. g The fixture which isthe subject of the present invention is on the contrary, so devised thatthe adjustable feature is conveniently concealed behind the shade andthe shade roller, the adjustable feature being so thin and laying soflat against the window casing that the shade roller easily clears itwhen this portion hind the shade roller. The device is also capableofeasy and quick production in large quantities at such a low cost that itcan be made at a profit to be sold at an extremely low price, beingavailable for distribution by the five and ten cent stores and similarorganizations. V.

In the accompanying drawings I have ilof the fixture is turned inwardlybelu-strated an automatically adjustable window shade fixture orsupport, together with so. much of a window shade as lsnecessary to afull comprehension of the invention and the manner of constructing,operating and using the same. Y

In the drawingsz' a l Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fragment ofwindow frame of the invention'also shown in perspective is securedinoperative position, a fragment of window shade and roller being shownin dotted lines in position on the fixture.

to which the fixture Figure 2 is a perspective view on a reduced scaleof a window shade supported on the automatically adjustable fixtures ofthe invention, the same being securedto a window frame and having theshade supported thereon in operative position. Referring to the drawingsby numerals, each of which is used to indicate the same or similar partsinfthe difi'erent figures, the construction showncomprises a'base plateor foot plate 1, adapted to be secured to the window shade by means ofscrews 2, passing through suitable holes in the baseplate, the same beinindicated by reference character 3, and asliding fixture member 45,consisting of a sheet metal'strip bent at right angles to form a slidingbar or follower 5, and a roller arm 6 at right angles thereto. The baseplate or foot plate 1 in the form of the invention shown is providedwith loops or' eyes 7 formed by slotting the sheet metal forming thebase 1, and bending it backwardly out ofline with the main portion ofthe base plate 1. These loopsor eyes 7 are shown as formed on each edgeof the plate 1 and ar-. ranged in alignment so that they provide waysfor the sliding bar or follower bar 5, which extends through these waystransversev ly to the base plate 1 as shown. The plate 1 forms one sideof these ways and the sliding fixture rests against it. The roller arm 6is perforated or slotted at 8 at its outer. end, the portion surroundingthe slot being preferably upsetorv bossed as at 9, to contact the end ofthe roller, giving a reduced contacting portion to reduce the frictionalengagement. The sliding bar 5 which is elongated as sired shoulders orabutments serving to support the end of the spring. 7 v 1 It will beunderstood from the description that the device of the invention iseasily and quickly formed from sheet metal by stampe ing the baseplate 1with theholes 3 and the rectangular loops '7 aligned to form the ways.

5 The slidingfixture member 4 is then formed of a longer strip of sheetmetal bent at right angles as previously described and perforated. orslotted at 8, or 8', Figure 2. The sliding or follower bar 5 is thenpassed through the. loops or ways 7 and through the spring 10 afterwhich the shoulders 11 are formed outside the spring by displacing ordrawing. these portions outwardly in any convenient manner as by means:of a prick punch punching the holes 12 and displacing the metal asshown. I

The fixtures being thus'as'sembled are arranged in pairs one having theperforation 8 and the other the slot 8 as shown in Figure 2. Thesefixtures when purchased by the consumer are secured to the window framein a position corresponding to the length of the shortest roller whichwould be used, and when a suitable shade 14 and roller 15 have beenselected for the window, the round pin 16 at one end of the roller isinserted in the perforation 8; and the roller being thrust to the rightin the illustration and thefixture at the left being if necessary drawnsomewhat to the left against the compression of the spring 10, the flatpin 17 at the left end of the fixture is. inserted in the slot 8', afterwhich thesprings 10 reach a balance or equilibriumand the installationof the shade,

roller is complete.

The ease and cheapness with which the fixture can be produced inquantities for sale at a low price will be understoodvand appreciatedfrom the description of the construction and the manner of assemblingdescribed above. The convenience of the construction and itsadaptability to all conditionswhich would be encountered in the installation'of window shades and. rollers as well as other types ofrollcurtains will also be appreciated. It is of'particular importancethat the device is made available for practical use not only on accountof its cheap and economical construction but because'of the fact thatthe adjustable feature is so compact and so flat and of such shortdimension normal to the plane of the window that it can be concealedbehind the roller relieving the assembled shade and fixture of anyobjectionable appearance of complicated mechanical structure or of anyconspicuous details which are difl erent fromtheordinary type of shadefixture. This is regarded as an important element in making the deviceacceptable to the trade.

I have thus described specifically and in detail an automaticallyadjustable window shade fixture embodying the features of my inventionin the preferred form in order that the manner of applying, using andoperating the same may be'fully understood,dhowever,'

the specific terms'herein are used descriptively rather than in alimiting sense, the scope of the inventionbeing defined'in the claims. 7H 7 What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I V 1.An automatically adjustable window shade fixture comprising a baseplate, having transverse ways, a sliding fixture member comprising asupporting arm normalto the base plate, a flat sliding bar which extendsthrough the ways in close proximity to the window frame and a fiat 'coilspring encircling thebar, one end of said spring bearing against theslidingmember, the other end of the spring having a fixed supportwhereby the spring tends to slide the bar through the ways and to holdthe supporting arm in the position of adjustment rious lengths. v 2. Thecombination in an automatically adjustable curtain shade fixture of abase plate having transverse ways, a sliding'bar in said ways andbearing close against the base plate, and adapted to extend inwardlybehindthe shade roller, a coil spring encircling the bar and bearingatone end against the base plate, the sliding bar having 'a springabutment at its end, and having at its opposite end a roller supportingarm normal to the plane of the base plate.

- 3. The combination in. an automatically adjustable curtain shadefixture of a base plate, a flat sliding bar, guiding means therefor onthe base plate, the barbeing adapted to extend inwardly behind the shaderoller, a flat coilspring encircling the bar and bear ing at one endagainst the base plate, the sliding bar having a spring abutment, at itsend the bar having at its opposite end a roller supporting arm normaltothe plane of. the base plate, said abutment being adapted to g? gormedon the bar after the same is assem- 4. In a shade roller fixture, abaseplate with ways transverse to the plate, the plate for rollers ofvaporting arm and a fiat sliding bar passing through said Ways andprojecting beyond the same, a flat coil sprlng encircling the slidingbar beyond the ways bearing at one end against the base plate, the endof the sliding bar beyond the spring carrying an abutment for the otherend of the spring, the sliding bar and spring being adapted to bedisposed back of the shade roller. m Signed by me at Baltimore,Maryland, this 7th day of May, 1931.

A. ISADORE COLEMAN.

